Display carton

Abstract

A shadow display carton and blank for making same with top and bottom portions of a front panel in position to frame the article to be displayed, and die cut folded sections at the top and bottom of the carton to support and restrain the article away from the end panels of the carton. The die cut section of the bottom of the carton is reinforced by a foldable reinforcement panel cut from the section to prevent collapse of the bottom support under the weight of the article.

What is claimed as new is: 
     
       1. A blank made of paperboard and adapted to be folded into a display carton of generally rectangular and tubular shape, comprising: a substantially rectangular sheet of said paperboard, said sheet having opposed vertical lateral edges and opposed horizontal top and bottom edges;   four vertically spaced parallel hinge lines intermediate the lateral edges thereof defining a pair of side walls, a front panel, a back panel, and a manufacturer's glue flap positioned at one lateral edge thereof;   said side walls and said front panel having end closure flaps hingedly attached to the top and bottom edges thereof along said top and bottom horizontal edges;   said front panel having means for displaying the contents of the carton;   said back panel having a first rectangular flap hingedly attached along the bottom edge thereof;   said first flap having a bottom cushioning structure hingedly attached thereto along a horizontal fold line and a rectangular reinforcement panel cut therein along a score line whose ends terminate at said horizontal fold line;   said bottom cushioning structure having a pair of elongated apertures formed therein aligned substantially perpendicular to said bottom edge of said back panel, each of said apertures having spaced apart inner and outer lateral edges;   said structure including a second flap hingedly connected along a horizontal fold line to said first flap and defined on the opposite side by a first intermediate fold line extending between the ends of said elongated apertures as well as a first pair of colinear fold lines spaced between the lateral edges of said structures and said outer lateral edges of said apertures;   said inner lateral edges of said apertures and said first intermediate fold line together with a second intermediate fold line spaced from said first intermediate fold line defining a center support panel adapted to have said reinforcement panel abutted therebeneath;   said outer lateral edges of said apertures and said first pair of colinear fold lines together with a second pair of colinear fold lines parallel to said first pair defining a pair of restraining panels on either lateral side of said bottom cushioning structure; and   a glue flap connected to said center section along said second intermediate fold line and to said restraining panels along said second pair of colinear fold lines.   
     
     
       2. A blank in accordance with claim 1 wherein said reinforcement panel includes a pair of ears extending upwardly from opposed corners of said panel towards said back panel. 
     
     
       3. A blank in accordance with claim 1 wherein said back panel has a first rectangular flap hingedly attached along the top edge thereof; said first flap having a top cushioning structure hingedly attached thereto along a horizontal fold line,   said top cushioning structure having a pair of elongated apertures formed therein aligned substantially perpendicular to said top edge of said back panel, each of said apertures having spaced apart inner and outer lateral edges:   said structure including a second flap hingedly connected along a horizontal fold line to said first flap and defined on the opposite side by a first intermediate fold line extending between the ends of said elongated apertures as well as a first pair of colinear fold lines spaced between the lateral edges of said structures and said outer lateral edges of said apertures;   said inner lateral edges of said apertures and said first intermediate fold line together with a second intermediate fold line spaced from said first intermediate fold line defining a center support panel;   said outer lateral edges of said apertures and said first pair of colinear fold lines together with a second pair of colinear fold lines parallel to said first pair defining a pair of restraining panels on either lateral side of said top cushioning structure;   a glue flap connected to said center section along said second intermediate fold line and to said restraining panels along said second pair of colinear fold lines; and   a V-shaped notch cut in the center of said glue flap.   
     
     
       4. A display carton for a bottle, said carton having front, back and side panels arranged in a generally rectangular tubular configuration with end flaps closing the top and bottom ends thereof, said carton comprising: a bottom cushioning structure located at the bottom of said carton and inside said bottom closure flaps, said bottom cushioning structure including a first flap hingedly connected to said back panel along the bottom edge thereof and lying on the inside of the bottom of the carton, a second flap hingedly connected to said first flap and oriented vertically parallel to the front panel of said carton, said second flap serving to space from said first flap a center panel extending between said front and back panels parallel to but spaced from said flap, a reinforcement panel cut from said first flap and adhesively connected to said second flap, said reinforcement panel having an upper edge in abutment with the bottom surface of said center panel to preclude collapse thereof under the weight of a bottle supported on said center panel, and two restraining sections separated from said center panel by vertically offset fold lines and spaced on either lateral side of said center section, said center section and said restraining sections spaced apart horizontally by elongated apertures extending from said front to said back of said carton; and   a glue flap hingedly connected to said center section and each of said restraining sections, said glue flap arranged vertically on the inside of said back panel and adhesively attached thereto.   
     
     
       5. A display carton in accordance with claim 4 wherein said reinforcement panel includes a pair of ears extending upwardly from opposed corners of said panel above the upper edge thereof. 
     
     
       6. A display carton in accordance with claim 5 wherein an edge of each of said ears follows the contour of one of said apertures. 
     
     
       7. A display carton in accordance with claim 4 including: a top cushioning structure located at the top of said carton and inside said top closure flaps, said top cushioning structure including a first flap hingedly connected to said back panel above the top edge thereof and lying on the inside of the top of the carton, a second flap hingedly connected to said first flap and oriented vertically parallel to the front panel of said carton, said second flap serving to space, from said first flap a center panel between said front and back panels parallel to but spaced from said flap, two restraining sections separated from said center panel by vertically offset fold lines and spaced on either lateral side of said center section, said center section and said restraining sections spaced apart horizontally by elongated apertures extending from said front to said back of said carton; and   a glue flap hingedly connected to said center section of each of said top restraining sections, said glue flap arranged vertically on the inside of said back panel and adhesively attached thereto, said glue flap including an inverted V-shaped notch to guide a bottle into contact with said center panel between said restraining sections.